[AKA_Monet]

I've seen both male and female gynecologists... Right now, I see a very good female gynecologist, although she doesn't hook me up with extra tests--no need according to her, I do argue medical facts about past conditions I have had since I started seeing a gynecologist as teenager...

Since I'm about to be 37 years old, I had huge concerns about my genetic predisposition to fibroids and other female related cancers. And the fact that AA women suffer from these kinds of issues moreso than other women at younger ages, I really wanted to know what my reproductive health was like since I've NEVER been pregnant and want to have children, sooner than later... My current insurance allowed me to see a nurse practioner that I got to give me an intrauterine ultrasound. I had to lie about feeling pain during my period, etc. but I got it done. Well, the results were extremely boring for folks to read as they called it...

ZTAngel-- I have an excellent male gynecologist in ATL who did laser surgery for me. I will have to search the world for his name, but I have it somewhere... There is also the Women's Center that made the original referral that was pretty good 15 years ago. But, they may be poor now... The Dr. was located in Cobb Co. Ironically, my godfather is an ob/gyn in Nashville and was under consideration for the Surgeon General during the Clinton Admin. But they thought he did one to many abortions and block his vote in the senate... The senate failed to consider that miscarriages are considered "spontaneous abortions" by insurances and they counted his handling of that procedure... Now he does research in gestational diabetes and speaking tours...

To those who have to undergo extra stuff like Colopscopy. That is just the visualization of the cervix, up close and personal. Does it hurt? Well, how wide can you open up? Usually a "kid's" (and you all are young ladies to me) vaginal canal are relatively small and taut--strong abs. So, they have "fittings" on the scope to detect these abnomalities on the cervix--they are trying to see how big, the color and how bad they are... They can scrape them off once visualized, the same day--that feels like the biopsy and can hurt some folks... They can add a chemical "peel" or cryofreeze them--sometimes that hurts... Or they laser them off--that's invasive and dangerous if clotting doesn't occur properly...

Best thing to do is to get tested for EVERYTHING... Make sure you do not have it... If you need the Colopscopy, you may need other things and the fact you are young, it can worsen very quickly...

The next thing you need to KNOW is "protect yourself at ALL times" and "just say NO"... It ain't about the fact that he's cute, he don't like using a condom, he'll kicked me to the curb if I don't--it's about your future reproductive health--do you want children when your 28-35, safely, without costly infertility treatments? Then, EFF the dumbisht, those little boys need to watch and wait. If they want skank, they can have skank... But you don't have to be stank with them and endanger your own health...

And if you get unbelievable diagnosis, get a second opinion--even a 3rd if you have to. Verify... Make them show you your paperwork--they have to legally do that anyway. They don't have to give it to you, but they can show you the test outcome. Many insurances are posting their lab data now to protect themselves legally... It's about papertrail... You are your OWN health advocate. Don't settle until you get an accurate diagnosis that you clearly understand... Not EVERY doctor graduated with honors and the top of his or her class and is board certified... Most don't like to put codes into the computer for accurate diagnosis and get jacked by the pay. And many have seen a gazillion patients since 6 AM for 7 days and think things are routine when they don't have alot of info to go on...

Besides, med schools aren't teaching the "let's examine and go developing and figure" process of elimination--that for the "translational clinical trial researchers to do". Med schools teach the "triage on the battlefield" method of seeing patients and the more info you give someone, the better off you are.

Why? Because insurance jacked up this process... That's why the patient MUST be their OWN advocate and NOT wait for a fair and accurate diagnosis... Watch your symptoms... Mark the dates and times of your periods, their consistency (heavy vs. light; chunky vs gooey and the color), the headache intensity, how long is the period, if you don't take birth control, what does your ovulation goo look like and when does it start; do you get sick after your periods because of lowered immune system; mood swinging and depression, whatever else that happens and BRING that list with you with dates, times, etc... You don't know how much that will help clinic folks out... Besides, that chit gets put into your permenent record so when you get jacked for some psychotic chit and decide to sue, you got that papertrail to follow... Because a TEAM of doctors (mainly from the insurance provider) will decide your diagnosis if you sue--and most of the time, you can't sue without probable cause unless your very rich...

Y'all need to realize doctors are human too and don't know everything although they do have to take some class on "being an asshole doctor 101 'cuz I passed my residency program"... Ironically, they HATE folks like me with a Ph.D. 'cuz I call them on their thought process with the genes and chromosomes... That's why the older doctors find me interesting because they have all these questions that I have to answer... The younger ones, well, some care about questions, others are like, how many patients I need to see to pay off my student loans... It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is now until something happens to advance medicine... That will happen in our lifetime, how I don't know.